High Beam indicator constantly on....no lows.

[clintonvillian]

Well at least I think the highs are on, could be the other way around.

Anyhow the instrument panel had NO light when I got it home. Bad grounds maybe, combined with loose connections, etc. After replacing the bulbs with LEDS and reassembling everything, all the instrument lights work.

But I noticed from the first time I turned the lights on the hi beam indicator was on regardless of whether I switched to high/low on the floor switch.

I also only have what I think are highs at the headlights themselves. When I toggle the floor switch I have nothing on lows...

They worked prior to me "cleaning" up the wiring, anything stick out to you guys?

 

[DirtDonk]

Well, usually it's the floor switch that causes all the drama, but since it worked just prior to working on it, there could be other reasons.
Easy to check the switch though.
But first, are the dash lights and indicator lights on all the time? Or only when you turn on the lights? First notch, or does it wait until the headlights are on?

If they're on all the time, then you messed up some connection somewhere. If they all come on with the headlight switch in the first notch, it's possible that you got one of the illumination bulbs moved over into the high-beam hole.
And many LED's are polarity sensitive, so it matters which direction you install them. Usually this means that they just don't work if you get it wrong, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. Not sure how putting one in backwards could cause it to be on all the time, but you never know.

If you suspect the switch you can unplug the harness from it, then jumper the center wire in the connector to either of the others. Turn on the light switch and see which headlight beams come on. Then swap the jumper from the center to the other side and see if the lights change.
If nothing changes, then there is a wiring issue somewhere between the dimmer switch and the headlights.

Try those things and let us know.

Paul

 

[Broncobowsher]

Tonight go out in the driveway and turn the lights on and cycle that high beam switch about 100 times. That is often all it takes to clean the contacts inside the switch. Or it will fail it completely in which case you now know you need a new one (that is why you do it at home)

A bad headlight ground can cause the indicator to glow. The side with a bad ground will try and ground by going through the high beam, power the high beam circuit including the dash indicator, and power the other high beam as it uses that ground. At this point it is powering 3 filaments in series and the dash indicator is just before the final ground, so it is dim. But if LED it may not look dim.

 

[clintonvillian]

Okay, Ill check the switch.

The indicator is on when the park lights are on, and when the headlights are engaged. So only when switch is activated, but in both positions, make sense?

On another note, I CANNOT get the side marker harnesses to come apart, I have tried and tried and they are tight. Any tricks to breaking the corrosion? I thought about hitting them with some pb blaster...…….

Also, on the rear tail lights, I am missing the "nuts" that hold the buckets in place. Is there anyplace to get these? I think for now I am going to drill them out and use some 1/4" bolts and rivnuts….

 

[DirtDonk]

The rear buckets doe not have nuts. They are sheet metal screws screwed right into the metal tabs on the body.
The metal tabs have (or used to have) plastic insulators that kept the light buckets from touching the metal. Those are probably what you're thinking of as the nuts maybe? They're not needed for the threading of the screws, and really not even critical if your metal stays painted so the dissimilar metals are not always in contact.
The buckets ground through those screws though, and the separate ground wire attached to the body is for the backup lamps only.

Then the lens is held in place by a more specialized sheet metal screw that has a long spiral-fluted shank to keep the screw from being turned down so far that it cracks the lens.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

On another note, I CANNOT get the side marker harnesses to come apart, I have tried and tried and they are tight. Any tricks to breaking the corrosion? I thought about hitting them with some pb blaster...

Which are you talking about? The flat 2-wire connectors near each fender corner? They are tight little buggers after all these years, but never had one that would not finally separate.
Can't hurt to spray some penetrant in there just as an added helper.

Oh, and your rivnut idea is actually pretty good. If the sheet metal screws are no longer working, a threaded insert would be cool.
However, if they are stripped out, the usual first line of defense is simply using a bigger sheet metal screw.
You could try that and save yourself some hassle at least up front.

Good luck!

Paul

 

[clintonvillian]

Okay on the back everything is in and wired up, and WORKS. For some reason though the new buckets are bowed and the lenses hit on the crossbar separating the reverse and taillights. If I loosen the main screws the lenses go on fine, problem with that is the grounding.

Other issue is the hazards won't work, signals yes, hazards no. Are the front park lights required to be in for the them to work?

 

[DirtDonk]

The hazards are on their own flasher unit, so you could swap the turn signal flasher for the 4-way flasher temporarily as a test.

Not sure about the fronts needing to be plugged in, but it's a good thought. Especially if these are LED lights?
But depending on the flasher, I suppose it could act funny. Do the lights come on, but not flash? Or do they not come on at all?

Paul

 

[clintonvillian]

I tried swapping the flasher...no dice

The lights don't come on at all. No clicking or nothing. The front not park lights aren't hooked up...

I'm going to hook them up before I start chasing ghosts.

 

[clintonvillian]

GO IT FIXED!

Wire must have been barely hanging on, and it broke while I was moving the harness around!

Thanks for the input!